BT broadband has this week been critical of the UK government’s plans to introduce a 50p per month tax on every copper telephone line in the UK. The move comes as the UK government looks to fund complete broadband connectivity across UK including large areas of the countryside which have yet to receive acceptable Internet services. While BT broadband has suggested that the move will see Internet connectivity increase to around 80% or even 85% across the UK it believes that further funding will still be required to achieve near total connectivity.
The proposed broadband tax is the latest move in the UK broadband market which continues to develop and improve. Whether the ongoing improvement in UK broadband services, brought about by the Digital Britain report, is enough for the future remains to be seen but changes are very much a foot. However, as ever it will be the UK consumer that is asked to fund much of the development of a national fibre-optic broadband network even though it will be UK business which will predominantly benefit.
With the Digital Britain report very much in the public domain, surely now is the time for action rather than words, before the UK falls behind its overseas counterparts?